Visual Thinking & Lettering: Use Those Lines!

Lines are a big part of drawing. When not used for the main part of the picture, they're often overlooked. But that's easy to change!

If there's something unique or surprising about the lines, people will notice. That sense of mystery draws them in. And the visual captures their attention for much longer.

Take a good look at the steam lines coming out of the mug above. There are a lot of ways those lines could have been drawn to give the effect of steam. There are a lot of ways "Merry Christmas!" could have been written, too.

When the words "Merry Christmas!" are written in the steam, those lines suddenly become much more interesting. The words become part of the picture. They're definitely not an after thought!

So use those lines to really unify your visuals!

Visual Thinking & Creativity: Just a Hint!

Our brains don't like to leave things open-ended. They like complete pictures. And they work really hard to fill in any missing pieces.

To fill in those missing pieces, the brain searches everywhere. And comes up with a lot of different options. Some options may be quite obvious. Others not so much. Those not so obvious options are often the most creative.

To create visuals that are a bit more open-ended, don't draw the whole thing. Try just giving a hint instead. Like in the visual above. You're sure there's a cat in the stocking. (The "Meow!" alone pretty much gives it away!)

Just seeing the ears makes you wonder what the cat is doing in that stocking. Why did it jump in there in the first place? Did it catch a mouse? Is it eating some Christmas goodies? Is it taking a nap? Trying to get out?

If you're after clarity, draw it all. If you're after creativity, just draw a hint.

Visual Thinking & Creativity: Draw What You Can!

Want to draw something but don't know how? Or have time to draw it all? Then it's time to get creative!

Often, drawing just a hint of something can be just as powerful as drawing the whole thing. It adds an element of surprise or mystery. That draws people in and keeps them engaged. Both good things!

Take the image above. You know it's Santa in a chimney, right? All I drew was his hat. And not even all of it! Yet, it's still very clear that's Santa in the chimney. That's because our brains take in the whole picture to make sense of it. Everything else in this picture points to Santa, so that hat obviously belongs to none other than Santa himself.

Even with very limited drawing skills or time, you can create a complete picture. If you give the viewer enough clues, the brain fills in the rest!

Visual Thinking & Lettering: Add Some Action!

Movement makes people look. It's mysterious. Maybe even exciting. Kind of like going on a scavenger hunt. Even if you know exactly where you're going and what you're looking for, there are bound to be some surprises along the way! 

That's why it's great to have visuals with a lot of movement in them. Especially if the topic is not so exciting. An energetic visual with a strong sense of movement will keep people interested. And their eye will naturally travel around the whole page. That means they're much more likely to take in all of your great information.

Cartoonists often use what they call "action lines". That's how they create the sense of movement in a still picture. And it works! Just look at the word "merry" in the visual above. It look like it's moving, thanks to those action lines!

Visual Thinking & Creativity: 17 Umbrellas

It's been raining a lot here lately (we need it!) so I decided to draw some umbrellas...and make them all a nice, bright sugary-sweet pink!

It's the same simple umbrella shape over and over again. But each one has it's own unique pattern. Some I like. Some I don't. But even the ones I don't like so much look OK mixed in with all the others. That's because they're unified by the basic umbrella shape.

When you take one idea (like an umbrella) and change one thing about it (like the pattern) you can come up with a lot of ideas super fast. Just be sure to keep all the ideas, including the ones you don't like. Those icky ideas often lead to good ones later on.

Graphic Recording: Color & Lines Create Movement

People will often come up to me on live Graphic Recording jobs and say, "Wow, I sure wish I could draw like you!" That's a really nice compliment. But the truth is, most people really can draw most of the things they're looking at. The "wow" factor comes from the design.

Take the graphic recording above. There aren't many pictures here - some simple faces, a few dollar bills (rectangles with dollar signs on them), and a bunch of mosquito type things that could be any kind of flying insect. Nothing fancy!

What grabs people's eye and draws them in is the design itself. In between the bold lettering on the top and bottom are a bunch of powerful lines and strong colors. The bold lettering frames the page and keeps it grounded. The powerful lines direct your eye around the page so you're sure to look at everything. The strong colors direct your eye, too. They also organize the information so you can more quickly understand how it's related.

If you only look at the pictures, you know the talk had something to do with bugs, people, and money. The design itself is what invited you to dig a little deeper and make sense of it all.

This graphic recording was done as an experiment, using only a black marker and crayons. I discovered crayons tend to disappear when you make the background white. That's why I left the image as is - with a blotchy gray background. That doesn't happen with markers!

Visual Thinking: Simple Can Be Powerful!

No fancy art skills are needed to turn your message into a picture. Really!

Just take a look at the image above. It's made from super simple shapes and lines. The snow on the ground is just a bumpy line. The poles are long, skinny rectangles with slightly curved stripes. One flag is a rectangle. The other is a rectangle with wavy lines on the long sides. The snowflakes are made from four lines crossed over each other in the middle. That's it!

When you put all those simple things together and make them fill the page, you end up with a picture. Add some words to those flags and suddenly your picture turns into a message. A message with impact. A message people get in a glance. Or one that's interesting enough to study a bit longer.

Give it a try. You'll be amazed at what a few simple lines can turn into!

Visual Thinking & Lettering: Make it Personal - Gift Idea

Ever tried to buy a gift for someone who can buy whatever they want? It's not easy. And definitely requires an extra dose of creativity! 

So, here's an idea for you:

Give them something obviously created just for them - their name hand-drawn in a creative way. It might even include something you know they like, like the flower in the name above.

The name can then be framed or printed on any number of things (stickers, notepads, t-shirts, etc.) at places like Vistaprint or CafePress or used online.

Want more info? Email me and we can iron out the details of what would work best for you.

Visual Thinking: Get Creative with Venn Diagrams

Venn diagrams have been around forever. They're everywhere these days, it seems. And they're here to stay. (That's a good thing!)

Don't know what they are? Pop into a kindergarten class and any number of kids will be glad to show you...if they remember what it's called. Better yet, just describe it: "You know that graphic organizer you use, the one with the big circles? Tell me about it!"

Venn diagrams are one of many graphic organizers used in the world of education. Graphic organizers are simply tried and true ways to organize information so you can see how things are related. They make complex information easier to understand. Even kindergarteners appreciate that!

When you add pictures to them, things get even better. Understanding deepens. Retention increases. The information is more inviting and engaging, too. Maybe even fun!

This Venn diagram was created for a presentation at a conference. It helped both the presenters and participants better understand the three separate but related parts of their program.

Visual Thinking & Creativity: 15 Christmas Trees

Want to generate a lot of ideas fast? Pick one thing about your subject and change it. That's it!

That's all I did to get these 15 Christmas trees. I used different types of lines to draw the main shape of the tree. I experimented with different shapes, too. In a few of them, I had to change the trunk a bit for it to make sense. But the star stayed the same in all of them.

Changing one thing makes it clear how everything fits together. Visual thinking lets everyone see if that change will leave a big hole or maybe other things to get rid of. That's true for Christmas trees and corporations alike.